Week 31 Premier League predictions

After the week 30 Premier League matches were largely interrupted by the FA Cup, week 31 returns this weekend with a full slate. Leicester remain at the top of the table while Aston Villa endured yet another loss to keep them mired at the bottom.

With the Tyne Wear Derby taking place this weekend Newcastle have a chance to move out of the bottom three while also putting their rivals, Sunderland, back down in the relegation zone. Also at the bottom, Norwich will be hoping to build on their 0-0 draw against Man City against West Brom. The Baggies are currently enjoying a nice run of form with 10 points out of their last four matches, compared to just the one for Norwich.

Of course the big match of the weekend is Sunday’s Manchester Derby, or perhaps it isn’t so big anymore. A win for United would still leave them a point behind their blue rivals while a loss for City couple with a West Ham win, would drop them out of the top four. It’s looking like a possibility that neither Manchester club will be playing in Europe next season.

Week 31 Premier League predictions:

Time

Home

Away

Final Score

Saturday, March 19

8:45ET/12:45BT

Everton

2

v

2

Arsenal

11:00ET/15:00BT

Chelsea

1

v

1

West Ham

11:00ET/15:00BT

Crystal Palace

1

v

2

Leicester City

11:00ET/15:00BT

Watford

1

v

1

Stoke City

11:00ET/15:00BT

West Brom

1

v

0

Norwich

13:30ET/17:30BT

Swansea City

2

v

0

Aston Villa

Sunday, March 20

9:30ET/13:30BT

Newcastle

3

v

2

Sunderland

9:30ET/13:30BT

Southampton

2

v

0

Liverpool

12:00ET/16:00BT

Tottenham

2

v

1

Bournemouth

12:00ET/16:00BT

Man City

2

v

1

Manchester United

In looking at some of the favorable FPL matchups for the weekend there are a few that stand out as possibilities. Leicester City are excellent picks not only for this week, but for the next few weeks coming up. Midfield and defense selections are the best choices as opposed to strikers with Jaime Vardy having some spotty form recently and heroics coming from the even more unpredictable sources of Leonard Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki.

Tottenham continue to be a dominating source of fantasy points, but then again, so are their opponents, Bournemouth. This will be a tricky match, but don’t forget that Tottenhm have the best defensive record in the league, making them strong candidates for midfield and defense, while Harry Kane is back on a run having scored in each of Spurs last two matches.

Players from Southampton v Liverpool as well as Watford v Stoke are looking like a great choice for differentials, especially with everyone already jumping on board with players from Tottenham and Leicester City. While you won’t find much of a bargain with Liverpool, there are some good mid-tier FPL picks at Southampton, Stoke and Watford.

That wraps up the week 31 Premier League predictions. This weekend should be an interesting one to say the least. With only seven matches remaining in the season, teams are running out of chances to solidify their position in the table. The same could be said for FPL managers, however, there is a chance for many playing FPL to make up ground in the upcoming double game weeks.